I'm halfway through my first ever tiling project. Everything is going
well -- the tiles are staying stuck to to the wall and are reasonably
level!

A couple of questions:

* When to grout? Should I wait until I have finished sticking up all
the tiles (about 80 x 15cm tiles = 2 sq metres approx.) before
commencing grouting? Or can I do small patches at a time?

* Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile
around it as neatly as possible? How do the professionals do this?

Thanks
Bruce

wrote:

* When to grout? Should I wait until I have finished sticking up all
the tiles (about 80 x 15cm tiles = 2 sq metres approx.) before
commencing grouting? Or can I do small patches at a time?

Put them all up then grout.
I have always found those little spacer things that you are supposed to
be able to grout over, never work, so I always end up using them like
matchstick of olden days poking them out for spacing then pull them out
once the tile adhesive has gone firm but not hard.

* Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile
around it as neatly as possible? How do the professionals do this?

Again, I would take the socket off, get some longer screws from the DIY
shop, tile around the back box leaving a big enough hole to re-mount the
socket but small enough the the socket now pulls down onto the tiles
rather than the wall.

don't forget to use a damp sponge to wipe off excess adhesive/grout
before it goes rock hard.

If it does go hard then I found a bit of sots wood used as a scraper
gets it off without any tile damage.

Jobs a good 'un


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In message .com,
writes
I'm halfway through my first ever tiling project. Everything is going
well -- the tiles are staying stuck to to the wall and are reasonably
level!

A couple of questions:

* When to grout? Should I wait until I have finished sticking up all
the tiles (about 80 x 15cm tiles = 2 sq metres approx.) before
commencing grouting? Or can I do small patches at a time?


Wait until all are up, grouting 2 sq m won't take long.

* Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile
around it as neatly as possible?

Noooooo...!! that looks dreadful

How do the professionals do this?

From what I've seen 'professionals' may come up with any old bodge :-)

Remove the socket, tile behind and then replace the socket (you can get
longer screw if necessary) It looks better if you say cut out the corner
of a tile if necessary, rather than cut tiles into pieces. This is when
a cheap electric tile cutter is useful. Though it can be done by hand.


--
Chris French, Leeds

* When to grout? Should I wait until I have finished sticking up all
the tiles (about 80 x 15cm tiles = 2 sq metres approx.) before
commencing grouting? Or can I do small patches at a time?

Do all the sticking. Then all the grouting. Grout over the entire surface,
then clean. All of it, quickly. It takes a second or two to clean a tile
when the grout is wet, or a minute or two if the grout has set.

* Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile
around it as neatly as possible? How do the professionals do this?

Undo the screws. Tile right up to the metal box. Tighten the box back onto
the tiles. You may need to procure longer screws.

Christian.

wrote:
I'm halfway through my first ever tiling project. Everything is going
well -- the tiles are staying stuck to to the wall and are reasonably
level!

A couple of questions:

* When to grout? Should I wait until I have finished sticking up all
the tiles (about 80 x 15cm tiles = 2 sq metres approx.) before
commencing grouting? Or can I do small patches at a time?

* Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile
around it as neatly as possible? How do the professionals do this?

Thanks
Bruce

Put up all tiles then grout. Probably next day unless you have used
expensive quick dry adhesive which is not good for newbie anyway.

NEVER tile round sockets etc. Sure sign of an amateur.

wrote:


* Tiling round a flush mounted electric socket. Just patch bits of tile
around it as neatly as possible? How do the professionals do this?

If you have a lecky tile saw (if not why not, 32 quid from Machine
Mart)... You can cut out a corner, or if you need to actually take a
lump out of the middle (i.e. end up with a U shaped tile) then cut
repeated narrow fingers of tile all along the bit to be removed and then
knock off the fingers.

--
Cheers,

John.

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Huge wrote:

The tile's fingers, that is...

Depends on what you stick in the saw!


--
Cheers,

John.

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Do all the sticking. Then all the grouting. Grout over the entire surface,
then clean. All of it, quickly. It takes a second or two to clean a tile
when the grout is wet, or a minute or two if the grout has set.


Thanks.
I'm now gearing up to do the grouting. I have bought a grout spreader
tool + a pot of ready-mixed grout.
Whats the procedure?

* Wipe grout over all the tiled surface.
* Poke down into gaps?
* Wipe over tiles with a damp cloth to clean grout off.
* Run a dowel over joints.

Bruce

bruce phipps wrote:

I'm now gearing up to do the grouting. I have bought a grout spreader
tool + a pot of ready-mixed grout.
Whats the procedure?

If you have one of those nice rubber face float type beasties then:

* Wipe grout over all the tiled surface.
* Poke down into gaps?

Wipe on making sure it goes into all the gaps, then use the trowel like
a squeegy to take off all the surplus grout (or spread it to the next un
grouted space). Do about a sq meter, then go back and profile your
joints with either a dowel, ready made rubber finger, or the corner of a
damp sponge.

* Wipe over tiles with a damp cloth to clean grout off.

Slightly damp sponge works well here - don't wipe too hard since you
dont want to mess up your profile on the grout lines... some people
forget the profileing and jump straight to this stage - using the sponge
to do the grout lines.

let it all dry, come back and polish the remaining film of grout off the
tiles with a dry paper towel.


--
Cheers,

John.

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let it all dry, come back and polish the remaining film of grout off the
tiles with a dry paper towel.

And then seal the grout with Lithofin KF StainStop, so it doesn't go black
and manky.

Christian.

Thanks to all.

One final tiling question:

The gap between worktop and wall tiles is too large for a bead of
acrylic sealant. I plan to fit some sort of plastic sealing strip.

* If I glue the back of plastic sealing strip to wall tiles will it
hold fast OK?

Thanks
Bruce

Christian McArdle wrote:
let it all dry, come back and polish the remaining film of grout off the
tiles with a dry paper towel.


And then seal the grout with Lithofin KF StainStop, so it doesn't go black
and manky.

Not tried it yet, but I have a bottle of Lithofin KF Grout Protector
which seemed more ideally suited to the task (since the tiles themselves
are glazed and don't also need sealing which is where the StainStop
would come into its own).

--
Cheers,

John.

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wrote:

One final tiling question:

The gap between worktop and wall tiles is too large for a bead of
acrylic sealant. I plan to fit some sort of plastic sealing strip.

Make sure the edges of the workstop are sealed first (decent coat of
gloss will stop water soaking into the worktop should it get past your
defenses!

Even if it is not going to be your final visble finnish I would have a
bead of silicone in there as well.

Also always go for a decent silicone rather than an acrylic sealant.

* If I glue the back of plastic sealing strip to wall tiles will it
hold fast OK?

You may manage with an impact adhesive, failing that use silicone. You
will need to keep it held in place until it sets, but once it does it
won't shift in a hurry!


--
Cheers,

John.

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